Advancement of science and technology has its beneficial effects on all aspects of human life. Organ transplant, a new and a key issue facing the medical fraternity has come as a boon. However, there are umpteen debates, discussions and dissentions surrounding the ethics, legalities and rules of organ donation in India.

What is organ donation? Wikipedia defines it as the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. The transplantation is carried out through a full-fledged surgical procedure. The person who gives the organs is the organ donor, while the person who receives the organ is called the organ recipient.

India witnessed the first kidney transplant back in the 1970s. However, with the passage of time, the problems of illegal and unrelated donations increased with the evil of organ commerce spreading its tentacles. In 1994, the government passed the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) legislation to:

1. To accept brain death as also a definition of death
2. To stop commercial dealing in organs
3. To define the first relative (father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter and wife) who could donate organs without permission from the government. As recently as 2011, the Act was amended to allow swapping of organs and widen the donor pool by including grandparents and grandchildren in the list.

What is brain death? Is brain death really death? These are questions that plague the sensitive issue of organ donation. A person is declared brain dead when there is irreversible brain damage, and the brain ceases to work in its capacity to send neuro signals. But without the brain, the body does not function; and is kept functioning through artificial means.
A common misconception is that brain death is being in a coma. A patient in a coma typically has some brain stem function (which controls breathing); while brain dead is equivalent to not alive. This is also one of the reasons people are hesitant to donate organs of their deceased near and dear ones.

Pledging organs is a sensitive issue, and not many want to do it. Public surveys show that 72% are open to eye donation, and carry an Organ Donor card; however less than 50% are willing to consider solid organ donation. A few hospitals along with committed NGOs have kept the momentum of donor programs and cadaver organ donation programmes to meet the demand for life-saving healthy organs.

The daunting task, therefore is to promote donation of organs. Celebrities in organ donation working with the government and various NGOs have already made a difference. The issue requires strong support from various social and communication media to highlight organ donor stories, organ recipient stories and even a film on brain death to boost organ donation programmes in India.

You too can be a part of this noble cause and pledge your organs by registering with recognized NGO's in organ donation.


For more info visit: http://www.organindia.org